National Police Misconduct NewsFeed Daily Recap 09-14-12

Here are the 10 reports of police misconduct tracked for Friday, September 14, 2012:

Highland Heights, Kentucky: The former police chief [Carl Mullen] pleaded guilty to two felony counts in federal court. He admitted to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft by using police credit cards: “I abused credit cards entrusted to me… and I am extremely remorseful for that.” He faces a maximum of 22 years with a $225,000 fine for each count. bit.ly/RQoSYP

Update: Providence, Rhode Island: The police chief [John Whiting] accused of stealing $714 from a stripper’s pocketbook was sentenced to serve six months in prison. bit.ly/RS04dg

Miami, Florida: A police officer [Fausto Lopez] was fired after an internal affairs investigation recommended his termination for habitually speeding in his patrol car. sunsent.nl/RRGJcc

Jermyn, Pennsylvania: A police officer [Robert Flynn] was dismissed for “legal violations for obtaining and presenting a first aid card.” All officers are required to have a first aid card. bit.ly/Q9hi6W

Moulton, Alabama: An officer [Mitchell Harris Breland] was charged with torture and willful abuse of a child. He allegedly whipped an 8-year-old girl so severely that she had to be taken to the hospital. “Theses are very serious allegations, and this is very disheartening for the department,” said the police chief. “When you go into law enforcement you are charged to uphold the law. Not only are these allegations disheartening to me and our department, but law enforcement in general.” bit.ly/UT9PMB

Aransas Pass, Texas: Two officers [Robert Gonzales, Steven Anderson] have been fired following claims of misconduct and mistakes involving criminal investigations. They were fired following claims of missing evidence and shoddy criminal investigations. bit.ly/SitnpR

Seattle, Washington: A police lieutenant [Donnie R. Lowe] was charged with violating a court order to stay away from his wife, adding a new allegation in the case against him. He was initially arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife. bit.ly/PefDOG

Update: Prince George County, Maryland: An officer [Chong Chin Kim] was given five years in prison and a $2.7 million fine for extortion in a cigarettes scheme. bit.ly/SkX8GD

Twin Rivers, California: A lawsuit alleges the abuse of five young men by police officers. It states that they were arrested for no apparent reason and three of them were brutally choked by an officer. The suit, which seeks monetary damages, alleges constitutional violations, including unreasonable seizure, excessive force, and derelict supervision and training. sacb.ee/Qfdyns [Persons named include "Frank Porter, former Twin Rivers Unified School District superintendent; Christopher Breck, Twin Rivers police chief at the time of the incident who has been on paid administrative leave since November; Ziggy Robeson, the district's deputy superintendent; and Chue Lor, a sergeant in the Twin Rivers Police Department. They are all named as defendants in the suit along with former Twin Rivers Officer Branche Smith, who is accused of choking three of the plaintiffs, and Officers Taras Chernyy, Anthony Ruiz and Emily Kelly, who were at the scenes of the arrests or Smith's attack on the prisoners."]

Portland, Oregon: Federal civil rights investigators have found “reasonable cause” to believe that police use “unnecessary or unreasonable force” with persons who have mental illness, reports the U.S. Justice Department. In the 42-page letter, there is an outline for remedies including training and new policies to investigate police misconduct. “We found instances that support a pattern of dangerous used of force against persons who posed little or no threat and who could not, as a result of their mental illness, comply with officer’s commands,” says the report. bit.ly/PAk5c4